Congress becomes Madison’s “overbearing majority”
I’ve got a new essay up at the Weekly Standard. In it, I unearthed some great—and extraordinarily relevant—quotes from Federalist Paper #10 by James Madison.
Follow the link to read; come back here to comment (the WS has no comments, although it does accept emails).
Excellent essay! You touched upon some things I’ve been thinking about. One of which was that the American people were paying attention at the right time to see the naked display of power by the President and the Democrats in Congress. Many, even many otherwise disposed to their cause, were shocked at the abuse of office and the circumvention of Constitutional restrictions.
Obama, Pelosi, and Reid constitute a triumvirate of tyranny (pardon my alliteration), the true extent of which will, I pray, some day be made clear by history. One hopes that November will not be too late to begin to counter their blatant usurpation of power.
Brava, neo-con.
Good to see you getting some exposure.
Agreed, that was an excellent column.
One quibble, I’m not sure that the US has never seen such a performance in the past. Michael Barone has made a case that the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was a similar Congressional cramdown (that time by the Little Giant, Stephen Douglas). I wonder if the consequences flowing from passage of the Health Care Act won’t be of similar magnitude.
Great column Neo.
Don’t hold your breath that this current “overbearing majority” will suddenly wake up to their excess … nor that the “overbearing minority” will not someday have a go at totalitarianism and despotism themselves!
We’re getting what our people have voted for for decades … this didn’t happen overnight.
Lament the loss of liberty as the product of our nation’s amoral vigilance.
Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may, by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests, of the people…
“Men of . . . sinister designs.” Yep, that’s our Obie, and his cabal.
Well done, Neo! I’m passing this one to thoughtful liberals, usually those who support the democrats because a single favorite issue tilts them that way.
That excludes those for whom that issue eradicates all others.
The people I’m talking about have jobs and ordinary responsibilities. These are the people who can admit that they were caught up in the moment during the rise of Obama. They might also realize that they will be the ones paying for this insanity.
Great column. I especially am drawn to the following quote from Madison:
“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm…”
We as a people assume that those we elect will look after our interests and that, at least some among them, are enlightened statesmen, although we might not use this phraseology to describe them. There are certainly some enlightened statesmen in the Republican party and, with shoves from the Tea Party, more Republicans are espousing first principals, like preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution. But there are none in the Democrat party. NONE. And there appears to be a complete disregard for the fact that our representatives, on taking office, pledge to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. The Democrats and, until recently, too many Republicans, took their jobs and their responsibilities for granted and forgot or just did not intend to honor that pledge. No matter what else happens, in the near future we, the voting public, will be vetting prospective candidates for office, among other important things, on whether they are (or are not) men of honor and potentially enlightened statesmen.
Great essay Ms. K.
One question keeps occurring when I read the works of the founding fathers, considering the weight of their brains how did they manage to stand up?
“It is the fortunate situation of our country, that the minds of the people are exceedingly enlightened and refined: Here then we may expect the laws to be proportionably agreeable to the standard of perfect policy; and the wisdom of public measures to consist with the most intimate conformity between the views of the representative and his constituent.” (Alexander Hamilton, New York Ratifying Convention, 21 June 1788 Papers 5:36–37, 40–43)
“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children.”
The loss of an “exceedingly enlightened” populace, which Hamilton mentioned in the above qoute, resulted because we let our enemy teach our children. NO MORE. We need more essays, teachers, and reasoned but impassioned citizens who will teach a new generation.
Excellent and muscular piece, N-N.
The smarmy-phony manners of the Senate make me root for the return of Caning.
It’s always tough for me to remember that the true Giant, Madison, was a diminutive fella who would have looked my 4’11’ 95-lb wife straight in the eye. What am I thinking..?! She has no problem kicking my keister.
Excellent column, Neo. One other thing that may influence people along with the sleaze they witnessed is the incompetence of the drafters. If Congressional staffers lose their health care because of the incoherence of the law, this will be milked in the campaign.
The wisdom of our founders is truly amazing. And the main thing our kids learn is the evil of the 3/5 compromise.
Excellent column and comments above.
We’ve been pretty divided and worried about tyranny before. Read the Wikipedia entry about the Copoperheads. These were nothern Democrats who opposed the Civil War. One newspaper that supported the Copperheads called Lincoln, “fungus from the corrupt womb of bigotry and fanaticism” and a “worse tyrant and more inhuman butcher than has existed since the days of Nero… The man who votes for Lincoln now is a traitor and murderer… And if he is elected to misgovern for another four years, we trust some bold hand will pierce his heart with dagger point for the public good”.
And this is how people felt about the man often ranked as either the 1st or 2nd best president ever.
By coincidence, I am listening to The Federalist Papers on my iPod (the free Librivox recording is available as a podcast on iTunes). I just listened to #10 a few days ago. What has struck me about Madison, Hamilton and Jay is their remarkable combination of clear-eyed realism (about the “crooked timber” of humanity) and utter dedication to the cause of human liberty and self-government. That’s the combination we need now!
Many thanks, Neo, for the reminder.
Great column. The insight displayed by the framers is still astounding. They even seemed to be able to recognize some of their own failings and try to prevent the same kind of things from becoming a problem for future generations (unlike some of our current congresscritters.
I know this is off the subject, but as a recovering liberal, I wonder if a column like “Joe Hill is still alive and has joined the Tea Party” might be an interesting topic for you? You could probably provide some very good insight into the original intent of the liberal side and how it’s been subverted to other ends.
I suspect if we are ever to undo the historic mistake of this President and Congress, we’ll need to apply the same ruthless tactics of exclusion the Dems have wielded. We will be villified by the MSM but it shouldn’t stop us. Hopefully by then, we’ll be able to use alternative media to call them on their overbearing hyposcrisy. I wonder what wisdom Madison would have to combat this blatant power grab.
Neo – You probably know it by now that you got a nice Instapundit kick. Congrats! Yours is a fine piece of work which brilliantly links Madison’s concerns of yesterday to the tyranny of today. I loved reading the Federalist Papers in grad school.
Neo is a now regular over at instapundit, congrats to her!
Correction: “A regular”
It’s a curious thing about how brilliant the founders were. I suspect they were far smarter and wiser than their parents and teachers. Was it the situation that made the men? Would they have been just regular guys without what they went through?
Maybe times like these not only wake people up, but make them exceptional. Lets hope.
Loved the essay by they way.
Steve H: that’s a good question. I think it was something like painters and sculptors in the Renaissance in Italy—a combination of personal brilliance, a bunch of background developments and traditions coming together, combined with certain specific local circumstances to produce a flowering of genius. Only in this case, the genius was in designing a government that would be most likely to preserve liberty.
Too bad there was no way to guarantee the preservation of liberty. In the end, it’s up to the founders’ descendants (not in the physical sense, but in the philosophical sense). I think we took our eyes off the ball for quite a few decades at least.
What is truly striking is that the founders were worried about this when the constitution still provided for senators to be appointed by the states rather than popular vote. I’ve always thought the 17th amendment was the beginning of the end.
I’m a Canadian with a great interest and admiration for your country. Your column is sending me back to my copy of the Federalist papers which contains so much wisdom and insight into the difficulties inherent in the management of human affairs. I think the Teaparty idealists are extraordinary and apparently beyond the understanding of the political and media elite. Those degrees in political science just don’t help! There are no words to describe the appalling arrogance and stupidity of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Obama’s crowd. Congratulations on your thoughtful column and your always interesting blog. David Stern
Congratulations–yes, that’s the ticket. Congratulations, neo! You’re really blooming, and it’s a pleasure to see. Ever’ durned day!
SteveH:
‘Maybe times like these not only wake people up, but make them exceptional. Lets hope.’
I hope she doesn’t mind me saying this: I know one person who the times like these has awaken and made exceptional. Her name is Neo.
JohnC, Ditto!
You’re making me blush, guys.
Really strong article. Bravo!
I was reading it and thought “This writing looks familiar. The name looks familiar too…” I didn’t make the connection until I got to the end.
I’m a little late here, but I just had to post.
Wow!! Now in the Weekly Standard even!! Very impressive. And an excellent article as well.
My wife and a couple of friends have often mused, years before our present difficulties began, about what made such a collection of intellects possible in the late eighteenth century. Aside from actual direct Divine Intervention, which I do not completely rule out, several circumstances functioned synergistically: The Great Awakening, about the time that many of the Founders were born, was an outbreak of the bourgeois version of Christianity, low-church Protestantism. The relative plenty that developed in the Colonies in the century before the Revolution made it possible for men to give more time to thinking and to thinking about politics. The Congregational meetings, and their direct descendants, the Town Meetings, gave people a sense of the importance of participation. The fact that there were no professional politicians meant that successful men from several walks of life could engage in this participation.The men were mostly home schooled, in what we now think of as
Western Civilization, and in the Bible, especially the Hebrew Scriptures, with their clear idea of Covenant, which is what, for example, the Constitution is. Finally, there is the fact that the French Enlightenment and its degenerations, like Marxism, had not come along to push these thinking, but very practical, men off center stage. Come to think of it, the convergence all those circumstances rather brings us back to the Divine Intervention idea.
I too extend my congratulations neo, on a fine article.
Regarding the many valid reasons advanced for the the profoundly amazing assemblage of talent that the founding fathers presented, I would suggest one more; Europe, i.e. the ‘old’ world. Or rather the profound and existential fact of a ‘new start’ that the ‘new’ world presented to the founding fathers.
Never before had such an opportunity to leave behind all the old divisions and historical animosities of the ‘old world’ existed. That must have profoundly shaped their thoughts in considering what was possible and ‘made real’ their debt to posterity (they used that word, a lot) to leave something of worth to future generations.
I’ve always thought that they succeeded beyond all expectations but now find, within another American’s words, one surely worthy of their inheritance, to be most applicable in our present circumstances;
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great
civilcultural war, testing whetherthatthis nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. – It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — … — that we here highly resolve … — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”LisaM: Interesting question you raise on the 17th Amendmant. Georgia’s senator Zell Miller shared your view.
And Bruce Bartlett wrote: ‘It is no coincidence that the sharp rise in the size and power of the federal government starts in this year (the 16th amendment, establishing a federal income tax, ratified the same year, was also important). . . . “[P]rior to the 17th amendment, senators resisted delegating power to Washington in order to keep it at the state and local level.” (See http://old.nationalreview.com/nrof_bartlett/bartlett200405120748.asp)
That article certainly upholds the level of discourse and analysis I look for in The Weekly Standard.
Lately I’ve been wondering what The Founders would think of the shenanigans going on in Washington just now. I think you gave us some insight into that.
Great article Neo, but I think there’s a another aspect of equal importence. The left may have a temporary majority, but they’ve created a structure which will continue their power even if they lose the election in Nov. Obamacare created hundreds (thousands?) of agencies, boards etc. Do we think any of them will be accountable to the public? They will be run by the left’s fellow travelers and will meet out the rules, regulations and directions for a populace the left feels is incapable of caring for itself. Healthcare is only one objective of a leftist ruling class. Similar structures will be created for energy, education (pretty much already in existence), justice, environment. And on top of all these will be parallel structures at the transnational level. Democracy then will not matter as the Laviathan of the regulatory state will be beyond the “consent of the governed.”
She meant the door metaphor. Why else the Moby Dick gavel and the perp walk with it through the protesters?
And thank you, Nancy!
I tried the href thing and was lucky to get out alive. So here:
http://nolanimrod.com/2010/04/16/thank-you-mr-president/
“Never before have we seen such a drive to pass a profoundly unpopular bill.”
One precedent came to mind: Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. It was so divisive and unpopular that led directly to Civil War. It also elevated Abraham Lincoln, the main opponent of the bill, as a figure of national importance, and led to founding of Republican party.
Good article, Neo.
And that is why I started predicting civil war the minute Obama was elected. I foresaw that the leftists were going to ram communism down America’s throat by any means necessary, and that there are tens of millions of Americans who simply will. not. tolerate. it.
Sergey: I also saw another reference to the Kansas-Nebraska Act yesterday. I don’t remember where I saw it, whether it was a comment on another blog or a comment by you on a different thread here.
A more detailed inquiry into the nature and significance of the “rules” which direct and constrain legislative activity would be very useful. The background for the inquiry is to be found in the four ORGANIC LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. See my INTRODUCTION to FOUR PILLARS OF CONSTITUTIONALISM, published by Prometheus Books. the text of the four “organic laws” is contained in the volume.
Richard H. Cox, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, SUNY-BUFFALO.
Neo, all I can do is echo the comments above and sing your praises.
When I came across your essay, I happened to be re-reading Federalist #10 for the first time in decades, in conjunction with a course from the Teaching Co. entitled “The Great Debate: Advocates and Opponents of the Constitution”, by Professor Thomas Pangle.
It is an absolutely superb, illuminating and surprising exploration of the arguments of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists in the making of the constitution. Twelve 30 minute lectures never flew by so quickly. I think it costs $30-40 in total and is available in mp3 format or cd; check your local library. (I don’t have any financial interest whatsoever in promoting the Teaching Co.)
The founding fathers had to work out their views in the crucible of debate, and much as I revere them, Pangle’s discussion will show how prescient the anti-federalists were in their fears that a centralized government would curtail republican liberty.
The debates over proper governance, then and now, are incredibly vital and exciting. As Madison himself wrote, “What is government but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?”
Thanks for a tremendous contribution to the debate.
What a tremendous piece of writing–well-organized and to the point. The Madison quote you chose is indeed chilling to read, and you did a superb job of applying his words to our current problems.
More and more these days, citing the Founders’ actual words is the best way to make our point, not only because their ideas have their own obvious merit, but also because it throws in sharp relief how far the “Progressives” have led us from the ideas of our national origin.
good work!
The lovely Janine Turner co-founded the website Constituting America. Constituting America’s
mission is to reach, educate and inform America’s youth and her citizens about the importance of the U.S. Constitution and the foundation it sets forth regarding our freedoms and rights.
Beginning April 20, she wants everyone to read the Constitution and 85 Federalist Papers in 90 days. She and Constitutional scholars will be blogging about the readings daily. She has links to all the documents at the website. Bookmark the site, and tell your friends and family to participate.
http://constitutingamerica.org
Sergey and others: I had read about that 1854 bill before. In my opinion, although it approaches the HCR machinations and unpopularity, the current one eclipsed it in both those aspects. We don’t have polls from that time, of course. But we have them now. Let’s hope the fallout of HCR and the Obama administration doesn’t equal the fallout of Kansas/Nebraska, however.
Upon closer look, the Constituting America website links to the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights, but I don’t see the Federalist Papers linked there. My bad.
It is hard to escape a vague feeling that things remorselessly spiral out of control to what Lenin called a “revolutionary situation”: when establishment can’t anymore rule as before, and masses do not want anymore live as before. We see a clash of the two kind of revolutionaries: Obama’s team, whose agenda is obviously so audacious that can’be named anything other, and Tea Party tax rebellion. It is a polite and so far non-violent rebellion, but its goal – to put government under people’s control – is very revolutionary by its essence, after half a century of government expansion in all spheres of public and private life. I expect some event which is called “A Black Swan”: largerly unexpected before it happened and almost unevitable in hindsight. The examples are: WWI, collapse of Soviet Union, global finantial crisis. This is only a vague feeling, of course: events of this type are, by definition, unpredictable.
I think what’s really great about this column is that in the pre-internet era there’s absolutely no way that a place like the Weekly Standard would let someone like you write a column for them. After all, you don’t have any credentials in the punditocracy class, you’re just a regular citizen like the rest of us — thankfully a thoughtful one.
Do readers here have a preferred edition of the Federalist Papers?
Good piece
> Do readers here have a preferred edition of the Federalist Papers?
I just use whatever version I find on the internet.
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It is sometimes good to emphasize the obvious: in all of human history, no other nation has received as much wisdom from its founding fathers and founding processes as the USA. More even than a great wonder of nature, we who hold it keep it not just for ourselves but for all of humanity. We abandon it at our peril and theirs.
Like many here, I bet, I was at my local Tea Party last week. I walked around taking photos of the signs (my own sign will be a compilation-essay on youtube), and the funniest thought hit me. Know what we are? The new Bolsheviks! The Constitution is our Das Kapital. We study it; we teach it. We are coalescing into thousands of tiny cells; we spread the bacillus. True, we have no Lenin and will have to make due with the Founding Fathers, which is fine by me. And, most exquisite of all, we even have “czars” to overthrow, tons of them! Excuse me now, have to bone up on What Is To Be Done?….